The NSW government has approved the Illabo to Stockinbingal section of the 1600-kilometre Inland Rail project between Brisbane and Melbourne.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will commence construction on the 39-kilometre single-track railway for the double-stacked freight trains that will soon travel through the south-western slopes of the Riverina, if the proposal is accepted by the federal government.
If accepted, works will be completed in 2027.
The Illabo to Stockinbingal connection is one of seven connections of the Inland Rail project that passes through inland NSW.
Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison says the Inland Rail project is a valuable addition to regional NSW communities.
“This section of Inland Rail will provide a valuable infrastructure link for the South West Slopes as it connects with this vital piece of national infrastructure,” Aitchison says.
“Consumers right across regional NSW stand to benefit with valuable cost savings once the Inland Rail project is complete as our state will have a more efficient and sustainable freight transport.
“The NSW government is working with Inland Rail to deliver this project and strengthen its commitment to the regions.”
Inland Rail is classified as a Critical State Significant Infrastructure, which has deemed it essential to the progression of NSW’s economy and society.
The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will now review the NSW approval assessment and the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Water will determine the project under the EPBC Act.
“Once finished, Inland Rail will provide faster, more reliable freight and safer, less congested roads,” Duty MLC for Cootamundra Stephen Lawrence says.
“The nearby Albury to Illabo and Stockinbingal to Parkes sections of the Inland Rail project have injected more than $4.2 million into the local economy with many businesses receiving a timely economic boost during a cost-of-living crisis.”
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